Knowing the profile of each guest, understanding their needs and knowing what their booking trends are helps to increase direct bookings. That is why today we have decided to bring you a very interesting study conducted by the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies, which determines the booking trends and booking channels used by guests according to their age, gender and location.
- Differences according to the age of the tourist
One of the most striking data is that, when buying package tours, Spaniards opt for channels according to the age of the travelers. 67.9% of those over 45 years of age use face-to-face agencies. Meanwhile, young people under 45 years of age only use them in 40% of trips. In the case of OTAs, the figures are the opposite. Here young people use them in 60% of trips. Older generations, on the other hand, use them in only 32.1% of trips.
In terms of spending, traditional agencies account for 71.2% of baby boomers and X generations. Then, the millennial and Z generations contribute 53.8% of spending. In the case of OTAs, it is the other way around, with the older generation accounting for 28.8% of spending versus 46.2% for the younger generation. In other words, there is a clear difference, with OTAs dominating among young people and face-to-face agencies among older people.
- Gender is also a factor
The latest wave of the Braintrust Barometer also analyzes whether there are gender differences in travelers’ consumption patterns. Of course, striking disparities have been detected. To begin with, 55.9% of women opt for face-to-face agencies when buying package tours. The figure is slightly higher than that of men, who do so by 50.5%.
Based on what has been seen, for Carlos Garrido, President of CEAV, the need for agencies for the Spanish traveler is clear. “Whether in the offline or online channel, agencies provide irreplaceable value,” he says. Specifically, because they advise travelers on their needs, especially in a VUCA environment. It is therefore not surprising that their “dominance in the sale of package tours is overwhelming”.
- Variations between autonomous communities
Finally, the analysis also delves into the booking channel by traveler origin, detecting very important differences. Extremadura appears as the leader in the use of face-to-face agencies for the purchase of package tours with 82.9%. It is followed by Castilla y León with 73.2%, Galicia with 72.9%, Andalucía with 68.6% and Madrid with 63.8%.
On the opposite side is Catalonia with 29.1% use of face-to-face agencies in the purchase of packages, La Rioja (39.4%), Navarre (42%), the Balearic Islands (49.5%) and the Basque Country (50.4%). Cultural aspects, as well as accessibility and the number of agencies could be the reasons for these differences. These data should help intermediary companies to measure and define their strategies for expansion and/or reduction of points of sale, based on travelers’ behavior patterns.
In this sense, knowing these numbers and search trends will help any vacation accommodation to enhance its sales strategy, segmenting according to the profile of guests it most attracts, knowing that if it wants to attract young people OTAS are the way to go, while if the profile is a little more senior, the sales approach should be made through traditional agencies.
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